Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-09-08
An Old Confederate.

There is living in the town of Dub.
lin, Ga, says the Savannah Ne,cs, an
extraordinary man in the person of
Captain j. NJ. Smith. He is about
forty years old and has never drank
tea, coffee, or milk, has never taken
chew of tobacco, has never played
game of any kind. has never gone fish.
ing or hunting, has never been to
picnic, and has never seen game Of
base ball played. He has been COM
mercial traveller for the last seven
years, and has Travelled all over tho
United States and Central America,
Captain Smith was gallant officer in
the Confederate army, and was the
youngest captain in the service. he
being at the time only fifteen years old.
placed in command of company Of
Yankees from Andersonville. who, in
order to get out of prison, took the oath
of the Confederate States and went
into the army. The first opportunity
they surrendered to the enemy. When
night came on Captain Smith made his
escape, and in SO doing was shot and
badly wounded by one of the guards.
He dragged himself three miles to,ths
Confederate lines. He was member
of General w. n. Il. Walkers divis.
ion, and was within few steps of the
General when he fell. When Sher-
mans army was on the north bank Of
the Chattahoochee and the Confederate
forces en- the south some one was
wanted to go into the enemy's camp
and find out what was going on. Smith
volunteered his services, and getting
on log he foated across the river un-
observed by the Yankee pickets and
awhile before day ne returned with a
Yankee officers sword rs evidence that
he had been there, and also bringing
valuable information. 1t was he who
informed General Hood that the Yam
KEGS were not falling back, as was sup
posed, but were fixing to flank him by
going down the river and crossing. He
is also one OF the men who went with
Captain W. A. Fuller in the chase and
capture of the noted engine thieves
who stole the engine while the passen-
gers were at dinner at Big Shanty, CT
the State Road, during the war. The
thieves were afterward tried by court
martial and hanged in the city of At
lanta. Captain Smith was in thirty
six battles during the war, and was
wounded three times. He is a fine man,
hale and hearty.
The Death of Fighting Phil Kearny.
Late in the afternoon of September l, in
the midst of n tremendous thunder shower,
the Third Corps stood across Lees path to
Chantilly.
Stevens division of Burnside's corps
had been driven back, and its brave Leader
killed.
Kearny was sent to regain the ground.
The daring General, desiring to know
fully the nature of the ground in front and
the position of the enemy before ordering
his men forward, rode out alone to re-
connoiter.
He came unexpectedly upon the enemy
in the darkness.
He inquired what troops they were.
They answered his question, but immedi-
ately discovered that he was Federal Of
ficer. He turned his horse to ride away.
They called upon him to halt, but he put
spurs to his noble animal and dashed
away into the darkness. Bullets came
whistling aT er him, and poor Kenrny, the
DfaVest OF tne brave, ana the luol not only
of his own division but of the whole army,
was killed.
His division waited nnxiously some time
for his return, but as he came not the
worst was feared, and finally General
Birney took command and led the men
forward. They advanced and recovered
the ground Stevens had lost.
In the morning the enemy sent the body
of Kearny in under flag of truce, for they
respected his bravery, and his division
wept over him like children.
No braver soldier than Phil kearny ever
lived He had lost an arm in the Mexican
war, during charge upon a battery Mt San
Antonio Gate, one of the defenses of the
City of Mexico, and he was accustomed to
go into battle with either his sword or his
reins between his teeth.
He was never SO happy as when the
battle ragged most fiercely about him.
The story was%old that in one of tho
battles upon the Peninsula ,one of his
brigadiers approached him and asked:
General, where shall I put my brigade?'
"Anywhere," replied kearny. his face
glowing with smiles, Anywhere; there's
beautiful fighting all along the line"